CC sheriff, NK court clerk races highlight bids for November election

A four-way race in Charles City for county sheriff and a three-way tangle for clerk of the Circuit Court in New Kent highlight local races for the November 2015 election.

Other races are also shaping up as candidates scrambled to beat Tuesday’s filing deadline.

In Charles City, four names have been certified to run for county sheriff. Current sheriff Javier Smith will look to seek re-election. But Alan Jones Sr., Vance Richards, and Ed Branch will challenge him in what may be the most competitive race in the county.

In another contested race in Charles City, two of the county’s three incumbent supervisors will face opposition. In District 2, Sherri Bowman, who was ousted by current supervisor Bill Coada in the 2011 election, is challenging Coada for the position. In District 3, newcomer David Ledbetter will vie for the seat against current supervisor Floyd Miles Sr.

Other contested races in Charles City will see a battle for the District 1 school board seat. Royce Paige, a former school board member, will challenge current chairwoman Helen Payne-Jones for the position. In the contest for Commonwealth’s Attorney, incumbent Rob Tyler will face off against Wayne Orrell. Sandra Hunkele and Victoria Cox-Washington are opponents vying for Circuit Court Clerk.

Posts where incumbents are unopposed in Charles City are District 1 board of supervisors (Gilbert Smith), Commissioner of Revenue (Denise Burrell Smith), treasurer (Mindy Bradby), District 2 school board (Herbert Johnson), District 3 school board (Martha Harris), at-large school board members (E. Preston Adkins and Steve Fuhrmann), and Colonial Soil and Water Conservation District (Fred Browning and Norman Hoffmeyer).

In New Kent, three people are competing for Clerk of the Circuit Court that is being vacated by Karen Butler. Amy P. Crump, Beth Dean Gregory, and K. Scott McPhail have been certified to run for the position.

In another high profile contest, the departure of Sheriff F.W. “Wakie” Howard Jr. has opened the door for two candidates. Current Chief Deputy J. Joseph McLaughlin Jr. and current Capt. Charles Gardner have submitted enough signatures and are seeking to fill the vacancy.

In the only contested race for a spot on New Kent County’s Board of Supervisors, first term incumbent Ron Stiers will face-off against former county treasurer Herbert C. Jones for the right to represent District 4.

In the final contested race in New Kent, current treasurer Norma C. Holmes will look to retain her position against newcomer Donna Williams.

Uncontested races in New Kent include the District 1 (Thomas Evelyn), District 2 (C. Thomas Tiller), District 3 (Patricia Paige), and District 5 (W.R. “Ray” Davis Jr.) seats on the county’s board of supervisors. All are incumbents except Page is seeking to replace Jimmy Burrell who is retiring.

Others include contests for the Commissioner of Revenue (Laura Ecimovic) and Commonwealth’s Attorney (C. Linwood Gregory). Both posts are occupied by incumbents.

Only three names were submitted to run for spots on the county’s school board. Current representatives of District 4 (Sarah Grier-Barber) and District 5 (Gail Hardinge) have petitioned for re-election, while Adriane J. Marshall has made a bid at the District 1 seat. No candidates were submitted for the District 2 or District 3 seats thus opening the door for potential write-in candidates. Current New Kent school board member Leigh Quick is retiring at the end of the year, while current members Dean Simmons and Brett Marshall are not seeking re-election.

No candidates were entered to represent New Kent on the Colonial Soil and Water Conservation District.